[NTW]A Little Boy from Marsaxlokk- The Unification of Italy

[Vandal Warlord]

Journal of Ġwann of Marsaxlokk, Royal Army of Naples



I was born on June 24th, 1780 in the year of our Lord, the feast day of St. John the Baptist. Marsaxlokk, on the isle of Malta, was my home and birthplace. My father, a strong but kind man, was a soldier with the Kavallieri ta 'San Ġwann, Knights of St. John. He was not a knight, therefore he could and eventually did marry my mother who then had me. I grew up in that small fishing port with my parents, I learned to fire a musket at seven, and how to load and fire a cannon at ten. My mother called me her little soldier, as did my father. The Knights were very benevolent, and I often watched them drill near the harbor. I always had wanted to be a knight, to reclaim the holy cities from the Ottoman Turks in the east. But, by the time I reached the age of 18 in 1798, that had changed.


I remember Napoleon.......


I was in Valletta, applying to the knight as a soldier when the French entered the harbor. A man in full military regalia was at their head, from what I understood, he wanted safe harbor and being the good Catholics we were, we gave it to him. I knew something was wrong. The french men did not lay down their arms, and looked suspiciously about. I had a musket in my hands at the time. I had a clear shot a that man, I could have killed Napoleon di Bonaparte. Before I knew it the Grand Master had capitulated and my mother and I were on a ship heading from Sicily. My dear father dared to stand up to the french, refusing to surrender, so he fired upon and killed two french soldiers. He too was then shot and killed. My mother wailed the entire trip as I held her, fighting the tears. By the time we reached Sicily mother could cry no longer. It was from there that we traveled to Napoli, Naples, there we bought some land and began a small vineyard.

In 1805 however, after six long years of peace, war came again to us. Il-Papa, the Pope, had declared war upon the Kingdom of Naples, and we were on the frontier. I knew what had to be done so I left my mother in the care of some friends and headed off to the city. There I joined the Royal Army of Naples, St. John's Infantry. It turns out my mother and I were not the only Maltese that made it to Naples, as every other man in my regiment was Maltese too. We received no training. (We were light infantry, not Line Infantry) From Naples we made a straight shot into the Papal States, the home of the Pope.

These are my writings during the time I spent with the Royal Army of Naples in an attempt to Unify the entire Italian Peninsula under a single flag, that of Naples and King Ferdinando IV, and to free my home.

Sincerely,

Ġwann of Marsaxlokk

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I have a relentless urge to write a story about my first campaign in Napoleon Total War, of which I bough a few days ago. I do realize that I have another AAR going, but I couldn't resist.

[Nanny de Bodemloze]

oh ya! This is my kind of AAR!! smell that? I smell somethiing. You smell something? Oh yes...that's the smell of authenticity!

[EmperorBatman999]

Interesting beginning. It's a shame France had to do that to the knights.

[Vandal Warlord]

Journal of Ġwann of Marsaxlokk, Royal Army of Naples

The First Battle of Rome Part I

June 20th 1805

I have now been in the Royal Army of Naples for three months. We are just one mile outside of Roma in a camp. Mama had always told me of the magnificence of Roma ever since I was a child, and now, even a mile away, I have learned that her stories are true. The Basilica can been seen from this spot as clears as the pen in my hand, and well as the Obelisk from Egypt.I only wish that I was entering the city in peace and not with weapons of war.

The rest of my company, all Maltese boys, is silent, much like the march over. For the first three days, nothing was said between us, then we found common ground and became true comrades. Two in particular are worth mention. Ċensu, a tall man and very kind much like Papa was, has become one of my best friends in the army. He grew up in Valletta, the old capital, but his father was a knight, who may not marry, yet Ċensu was born. But he is a good man who often prays. The other is Valentine, a little man with a big brain. He is one of the most intelligent people I have ever known, possibly the reason he became our Lieutenant a few days ago. Although a very orderly man, he has absolutely no organizational skills, always searching for his belongings, of which are right under his nose.

Once we became acquainted with one another, our regiment became more like family, while some soldiers would engage in only light conversation with each other, we would sit and take turns reading tal-Bibbja, the Bible. Then, in the morning when we received our rations, which were lower than the other men because we were "semplice fanteria leggera" as the captains would say. So, we sat around each other, put all our rations together and had ourselves a feast, carrying on about what-not. All the other soldiers just watched gaping.

However, at this very moment, we are being called to rank. Our foes have sallied forth.

June 27th 1805

It has one week since the First Battle of Rome, and I still cannot sleep. When I try, I wake up in pools of tears, with night terrors constant. I never wish to relive that hell.







In a single line, the main infantry marched until making a hexagon of sorts, the cannons at the front. We were sent to the forest to harass the enemies as it was expected their main force would hit there first. We were all anxious and nerve racked, barely able to keep our pants dry. None of us had ever seen combat and were not even trained. I was so jittery that when the cannons first fired, I fell to the ground in fear. Ċensu helped me up and he gave me a fake smile.
"Aħna se multa, we will be fine" Was what he said, and I believed him, that was until the fighting began.

We sat in wait for only five damning minutes before we first tasted combat. The cavalry was deployed right behind us, and that was were the Papal Cavalry was headed, then they hit us.



When we first spotted them, I though we would all faint or rout, but we held strong. Lieutenant Valentine whispered to us, "Fire on my mark." So we all raised our muskets and found a target. mine was a hussar with an interesting hat. I remember the cold feel of the trigger, sending shivers down my spine. the came the dreadful words, fire at will. I pulled that trigger as fast as possible, not even looking at my kill, and began to reload. Ninety muskets were fire in an instant, a sound that rattled me at first, only to be defeated by the sound of dying horses. One though went through my mind. SweetJesusintheheavensallowmetolivethroughthisbattle.


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Then I looked up from my musket after the first shove down the barrel. There, charging, was a hussar. Instinctively, I rolled out of the way, but as I turned to the now past cavalry, I swung my bayonet and sliced the back of the horse's leg, it collapsed and killed its rider. For a moment I looked in shock, until another horse rammed right into me. I can fly. I was airborne for only a matter of feet, but it was still true. however, the landing was far from graceful When I hit the ground and stayed their, I could not move. My musket lie under me.



I have never been so afraid in my entire life. So for ten minutes, I just lay there hoping I would not be trampled. When I heard a muffled retreat order, I sprang up, only to slip on a fallen sabre. When I hit the ground a second time however, a few words escaped my mouth that should not necessarily be repeated. Finally though, I rose again and looked around for my comrades, I found them lined up on the hill with the rest of our men, reading for combat. I ran to them as fast as I could jumping over bodies ever three steps. But just as I was out of the forest, a canister shot whizzed by me, causing me to drop in my steps. It scared me to death. But I got back up and rejoined my men to find our ranks thinned greatly. Ċensu patted me on the head when I rejoined the lines and finished reloading. What happened next was, if a dare say, not short of amazing.

[Petrov]

Great AAR +rep! I love the whole Napoleon di bonaparte could be dead!

[Vandal Warlord]

Thanks Very Much, net update will be over the weekend

[Cellus...]

Great start, Vandal.

[Temuzu]

Damn you! I was going to do an Vatican AAR, but couldnt becouse of the lack of navy!

Good luck with this one, Ill be following it

[Vandal Warlord]

My computer contracted damn Digital Protection, therefore I must postpone the next update for another day whilst I am fixing it.

[Scourge of Wellington]

VIVA GWANNI TA' MALTA!!!!

(Long live John of Malta!)

:')

P.S. Very interesting story! Keep it up!

[Vandal Warlord]

Alright, virus gone so I will be able to update soon.

[Yuko]

nice writing, i am liking this.